Relic
by metforce
Summary: A hurricane brings more than the Titans bargain for when an ancient relic is unearthed along with its long dead owner. Raven is haunted by a foreboding vision and an owner of immense power and unknown intentions.
1. Chapter 1

**Relic**

A hurricane brings more than the Titans bargain for when an ancient relic is unearthed. Raven is haunted by a foreboding vision and the relic's long-dead owner with unknown intentions. Edited 3/31/06

**Chapter 1: Hurricane!**

The wind thrashed angrily at the tower. Starfire hugged herself as the windows rattled violently. Raven at stood the window oblivious to the sound staring out over the frothy gray sea. Ingrid had arrived in the city early that morning. Prior to her arrival the city had been filled with a strange mix of excitement and dread. Hurricanes rarely ventured this far north and one of this strength happened once in a lifetime. Preparations had already been made but once they were completed there was nothing left to do but ride the storm out.

Starfire looked up as Beast Boy and Cyborg finished laying out a large spread of food in front of the TV. Those two could always find a way to enjoy themselves under just about any circumstances. Robin was at the other end of the spectrum; he could always be counted on to keep his guard up. There he was in front of the computer counsel monitoring the situation even though there was really nothing he could do until conditions improved. Another gust hit the tower interrupting Starfire's analysis and filling her with a renewed sense of dread.

"Come on BB turn the TV on and let's get this party started."

"Relax Cy, the storm's not going anywhere." Beast Boy hit the clicker bringing the wide-screen TV to life. "There, weather central. Let the destruction begin," Beast Boy announced as we waved his arms upward and plopped down in front of the TV.

Cyborg sat down and grabbed a drink. The latest computer-model runs had the storm racing out to sea giving the city only a glancing blow. A close miss, enough to cause a quick adrenaline rush but nothing catastrophic. Live reports on weather central confirmed what Cyborg already knew. He guessed BB would be disappointed with the news.

"Man, I can't believe this storm's gonna miss us. I was hoping for some serious destruction and major rescue operations."

"Well there's some destruction right there," Cyborg interrupted. A live TV shot was showing the roof of a building pealed back by Ingrid's relentless winds.

"Whoa, now that's what I'm talking about!" Beast Boy grabbed his drink and sat up in his seat.

"I do not think it is right to cheer on destruction," Starfire lectured. "Cyborg, will the tower be able to stand the strain of the storm?"

Cyborg leaned back, shot his elbow over the edge of the couch and propped his head up. "Don't worry Star, the tower can take whatever Ingrid can give and then some." He knew she was a bit scared so he did his best to convey his confidence to her. "We're cool."

Star nodded slightly accepting Cyborg's response then looked puzzled. "Why do they call this storm Ingrid? Has it become some type of atmospheric monster?"

"No Star." Robin interrupted. The others turned a bit startled thinking Robin was too absorbed to be following their conversation. "The weather service started doing that in the 1950s to help raise awareness and get people interested in these storms. The city had good warning this time. Most of the people should be out of the main path of the storm. I think we'll be busy cleaning up tomorrow."

Cyborg casually turned his attention back to the TV. "Yup, check it out." On the TV another roof gave way to the storm and smashed into a nearby building.

"Way cool!" Beast Boy grabbed a handful of popcorn and stuffed it into his mouth.

Cyborg squinted at the screen as a vague sense of familiarity took hold. "Hey BB, isn't that Pizza World?"

"Huh?" Caught in mid chew Beast Boy focused on the TV screen then froze as he confirmed Cyborg's assessment. "Ah man, thanks a lot Ingrid!" Beast Boy crossed his arms and shoved himself dejectedly into the back of the couch.

"Be careful what you ask for BB." Robin said doing his best to hold back a snicker. Never poke an enraged Beast Boy. The storm had them all holed up for most of the day. It wouldn't take much to generate bad feelings at this point and they would need to work together tomorrow to clean things up. Robin sat up stiffly from his seat, stretched then rubbed the life back into his eyes. Raven had excluded herself from this exchange. Robin felt something was up with her and against his better judgment, he decided to tempt fate.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Storm Vision**

Raven continued to stare out the window. Storms fascinated her. They were bundles of unbridled chaotic energy beyond her control. She'd often sat on the roof of the tower and watched the thunderstorms parade across the ocean. The hurricane possessed all the fury of the other storms she had ever watched, but it was different, instead of chaos she felt order.

Hurricanes are fragile things. Their existence hinges on a perfect set of conditions. When those conditions do occur, the storm's fury builds, feeding upon itself making it stronger and more menacing. Raven could feel the storm focus and build its power as it swept across the ocean. Outside the sea was an angry frothing beast, brought to life by the storm's constant battering winds. Beyond the rain-swept swells Raven could feel the stillness of the eye of the storm, the center and focus of all the fury surrounding it.

A harsh rain-swept burst of wind slammed into the tower and obscured Raven's view. A sudden wave of nausea swept over her. Raven's chin dropped to her chest and her eyes closed as the glass panes violently rattled in front of her. She put her hand on the cool pane of glass to steady herself.

Slowly a vision came into focus. Raven stood in a small clearing surrounded by enormous trees. Blinding sunshine fell from the azure sky above her. Something dropped over her left shoulder and settled in the grass. The wind jostled her hair as a shadow quickly darted through the tall grass in front of her. A large eagle sliced though the air. Once he passed overhead, his wings swung up and thrashed forward several times as he settled in the grass. The eagle turned, neatly folded its wings and then focused a pair of clear yellow eyes on her. Raven stood motionless not quite sure what to do. This eagle was very large. It leaned forward, took a step towards her then cocked its head focusing its eyes near her feet. Raven looked down on the ground trying to determine what caught the bird's attention. Her eyes focused on a serpentine form in the grass several feet in front of her. Curiosity overcame her and she stepped forward, reached down and pulled the object from the grass.

It was a belt of some kind with shell fragments sewn into its face. She firmly grasped one end of the belt and slid her hand towards the other end feeling the bumpy polished surface of the belt. The black and white shell fragments formed a complicated geometric pattern that she couldn't quite make out. As she rotated the belt to get a better look at it the belt's pattern appeared to change. A slight wind hit her face and the belt began to oscillate slowly between her hands. Raven felt as if her surroundings had begun to swirl around her. She looked up and noticed the trees surrounding the clearing were swaying in one direction as if a large whirlwind had descended on the forest. The air in the clearing was strangely still.

The belt began shaking violently between her hands. Raven had a sinking feeling that she had fallen off center, that she had lost control. She tried to pull the ends taunt to stop the belt from oscillating but that only seemed to make the belt to shake even more. Raven looked up and saw the eagle craning its head forward as if suddenly concerned. The light in the clearing began to fade as storm clouds suddenly enveloped the sky above her. The clearing began to contract and the trees appeared to descend upon her. The eagle screamed and began bounding towards her. Raven looked down at the belt. The ends had wrapped tightly around her forearms. She could not let go.

The clearing closed in on her entirely and the loud roar of the raging winds in the trees completely engulfed her. Rain began hitting Raven's face stinging her harshly. She closed her eyes but could not raise her hands to shield herself from the pelting rain. The belt had worked its way up her arms and slowly constricted around her chest. She could feel the tethered ends work their way around her legs and slowly encase her entire body like a cocoon. Raven fought to fill her lungs as the entire forest collapsed upon her. She thought she could hear the eagle scream behind the roar of the wind. When she listened closely she realized it was her voice trying to rise above the din. She slowly suffocated as the storm consumed her and squeezed out the last bit of life. As the sounds of the storm slowly receded Raven heard a woman's voice echo in the darkness.

"Raven? Are you all right?" Robin lightly taped her shoulder. Raven opened her eyes and saw her reflection in the window and beyond it the churning ocean crash onto the island's shore. Her hand was still on the glass. She removed it and quickly straightened up and tried to gather her composure. "I'm ok", she said unconvincingly. "I'll be in my room." Robin thought he caught a small stumble as she stepped away. Her cape flowed behind her as she made her way out of the main room. The others caught a brief glimpse of her face as she exited. Robin kept his silence knowing better than to inquirer about what had just happened.

"What's up with her?" Beast Boy said looking at Robin.

"I'm not sure, she looked like she saw a ghost", Robin replied.

"Gee I thought that make her happy", retorted Beast boy. He reached down, grabbed his drink and took a swig.

"Oh shut up will ya." Cyborg casually swung his hand smacking Beast Boy's drink spilling it over his shirt. In Cyborg's mind the comment was totally unnecessary. He always felt there was something going on between them but he never understood why Beast Boy continually antagonized her.

Beast Boy pulled himself away from his drink attempting to limit the damage. "Hey, what's that for?"

"Ok guys, that's enough." Robin interrupted trying to get a hold of the situation before it got out of hand. He was pretty sure Raven hadn't heard Beast Boy's snide comment so a major catastrophe had been averted for the moment.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Cleanup**

The storm passed the city leaving brilliant sunshine in its wake. The power was out and communications were down across most of the city. The city's dock area was a mess and officials needed some help with cleanup. Robin decided to split the team up. His primary motive was to keep as much distance between Beast Boy and Raven as he could. His second motive was to see if he could figure out what had happened to Raven. Cyborg and Beast Boy would work on clearing the harbor while Raven, Starfire and himself would work downtown.

By late afternoon Cyborg wished he had never been born. Keeping Beast Boy focused was like trying to herd cats through a fish factory. It had gone well for about an hour in the morning but by the afternoon progress had ground to a halt. Cyborg sat in the T-car hovering in the middle of the harbor looking for any sign of Beast Boy. In the rear view mirror he got a glimpse of him reclined on a sofa that was floating several yards behind him.

"Come on Beast Boy, get a move on will ya!" Cyborg screamed out the window in frustration.

Beast Boy looked up from his seat. "Relax Cy." Beast Boy changed into a seal and jumped into the water. He surfaced next to the T-car's open window balancing a red ball on his nose.

Cyborg glanced out his window and put his hand on his chin. "How did I get stuck with you", he said with a slight tinge of annoyance. With that Beast Boy launched his ball smacking Cyborg in the face with a sharp ping.

"Why you little…" Before Cyborg could finish his sentence a light ringing came from the T-car's consul. It was Robin. Cyborg and Beast Boy turned their attention to the consul.

"Hey guys, how goes the harbor cleanup?"

"I would have been finished hours ago if I had some real help." Cyborg turned his head towards BB-seal and shot a disapproving look at him. Beast Boy looked up and let out a large belch directly in his face. The smell of stale tofu overwhelmed Cyborg as he began to cough and wave his hands in a vain attempt to drive the stench away.

"Never mind that guys", Robin interrupted, "Sal's started the ovens and promised us all of the pizza we can eat. How soon can you get here?"

Cyborg's spirits lifted immediately. If there was anything that could do that it was food. "We're on our way Robin." He signed off and quickly put the T-car in gear. "Race you to the shore BB." Cyborg gunned the engine leaving Beast Boy floundering in the T-car's large wake. Beast Boy struggled to right himself and began a vain attempt to get to shore. After several seconds of struggling he realized the race was hopeless. He changed into a duck and slowly paddled to shore. If he was going to loose he'd lose in style.

Beast Boy slowly pulled himself on shore. Cyborg slyly leaned on his car with his arms folded. "What took ya so long?"

"Very funny." As Beast Boy walked up the beach something in the sand caught his attention. "What's this?" He leaned down and pulled a long piece of leather out of the sand. It appeared to be a belt of some type. The face was made up of small pieces of black and white shells. Tassels of leather dangled from the ends. Beast Boy shook the object to get the sand off.

"Hey Cyborg look what I found."

"Real nice, come on I'm hungry and dinner's waiting." Cyborg had had enough distractions for the day. He quickly jumped in the car and sped off towards Pizza World. Besides, he didn't really relish the thought of a wet Beast Boy in the T-car.

Beast Boy stood transfixed holding the belt in his hands. The sound of the T-car's engine pulling away roused him from his obsession. "Hey wait." Beast Boy screamed. His shoulders slumped as he let out a sigh. He placed the belt in his mouth, changed into a horse and galloped after Cyborg.

Robin, Starfire and Raven took a seat in one of the bigger booths. A middle-aged man quickly placed several drinks in front of them. "Thanks Sal." Pizza World was one of the group's favorite hangouts. The food was good, the owner was cool and the video game assortment was always up to date. This meal was free, an added bonus.

"Where are my two best customers?" Sal inquired.

"I just called Cyborg and Beast Boy. They should be here soon." Robin replied.

Sal frowned, wiped his brow with the back of his hand and turned to the back of the store. "Put ten more pizzas in the oven guys, the big guns will be here soon." Sal turned back to the table, "Thanks again for your help, let me know if you need anything else."

Robin nodded and smiled as Sal turned to go back to the ovens. A good days pay for a good days work he thought. Him and Starfire were physically exhausted. Robin suspected Raven's exhaustion was more mental after using her powers all day. No complaints came from any of them. While they were each spent they all possessed a feeling of accomplishment that came with a good days work.

Raven was thankful the day had been both busy and exhausting. It had given her a focus other than the mysterious vision she had experienced yesterday. She was convinced that the object in her vision had great power and would somehow lead to her demise. A sobering thought, but she still didn't know how or when this would happen or if this would lead to something more cataclysmic.

"Cyborg has arrived!" Starfire announced. She was always genuinely thrilled to see others in the group. Robin turned as Cyborg pushed the doors open and strode wearily towards the table.

"Tough day at the office?" Robin couldn't help but snicker.

"Don't get me started" Cyborg retorted. "Slide over and make room." Cyborg slumped heavily in the booth causing Starfire and Robin to rise up slightly from their seats. He grabbed a drink and quickly gulped it down.

"Where is Beast Boy?" Starfire asked.

"There he is." Cyborg nodded his head pointing towards the store's front windows. A green horse galloped towards the door, slid to a stop, morphed into Beast Boy and quickly pushed the front door open.

"What took you so long?" Cyborg prodded.

Beast Boy held a long piece of leather in his mouth and mumbled incoherently before he realized he'd forgotten to take it out. He quickly removed it from his mouth and shot a disapproving glare at Cyborg. "Very funny, I ran three miles in my bare hooves because of you."

"Up and down hills, in driving rain and snow?" Robin added. He couldn't resist chiding his friend.

"Ok has everyone had a chance to harass Beast Boy?" Beast boy threw his arms up and gave the group an angry stare.

"Maybe Starfire would like to get in on the act." Cyborg replied. Starfire giggled but did not remark on Beast Boy's plight. Beast Boy trudged over to the table and wearily took a seat in the booth next to Raven. She hadn't really noticed his entrance and continued mulling over her plight.

"What cha got?" Robin inquired.

"Huh, oh this thing? I almost forgot about it. I found it on the beach." He handed it across the table to Robin to look at. "What do you think it is?" Robin inspected it. It looked like some kind of belt but nothing like he had ever seen before. "Not sure. Hey Cyborg what do you make of this?" Cyborg looked over at the object in Robin's hands. "Not sure either. It looks like an old native Indian design." Robin nodded and turned to Raven. "What do you think Raven? It looks like an old Indian artifact, doesn't it?"

Raven was consumed in her own thoughts and had not really been paying attention. She turned to see what Robin was holding. When she looked over at Robin's hands her heart sank and a sudden feeling of dread washed over her. She recoiled slightly from the table when she realized it was the belt she had seen in her vision the previous night. All she could offer Robin was a blank stare.

"We could take it down to the university and let them check it out" Cyborg interrupted. "They've got a good group of Profs interested in local Indian artifacts."

"That sounds like a plan." Robin replied. "We've done enough hero work for today. I'll find an officer to run it over to the University for us." Cyborg slid out of the booth and Robin got up and made his way to the front door. Raven focused on the belt wondering when she would see it again.

"Here you go guys, fresh out of the oven." Sal brought over the first two pies from the oven and slid them across the table. "Enjoy. I'll be back with a couple more in a few minutes." Sal quickly glided back towards the ovens.

"All right! Pizza, my favorite fruit!" Beast Boy interjected. After a brief survey he cocked his head towards the back and shouted "Hey Sal, where the fries?"

"Race ya Beast Boy" Cyborg said. He quickly claimed one of the pies and began shoving slices in his face.

"You're on." Beast Boy responded as he quickly claimed the other pie. Starfire conceded Sal's initial offerings realizing one risks their fingers if they are not careful with these two at the table. Cyborg took the early lead but at the last minute Beast Boy's head morphed into a hippo and he quickly stuffed the remains of his pizza into his overextended mouth. Cyborg held his last slices and looked on in utter shock.

"Beast Boy is the winner!" Starfire announced.

"No fair changing into something with a bigger mouth," Cyborg protested. "Best two out of three."

Beast boy folded his arms and looked at Cyborg in triumph. "I did it once and I'll do it again. Sal more pizza please." Sal quickly obliged and Starfire watched round two contented. Raven took little notice as she continued to go over last night's vision in her head.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Mantis at the Tower**

Back into the darkness he had gone. It was cold and wet. Instinctively he drew himself to the surface. The sky was clear, the stars were dim and the waves washed over his body. He drew a short breath and the salt air filled his lungs alleviating the dull pain in his chest. He spied his vision from so long ago and slowly made his way towards it. On the rocky shore he slowly drew up his body. His arms and claws quickly griped the slimy shore. He was Mantis, the mythical frog people remembered only in the ancient stories of his people. For several moments he gazed at the lighted tower, his vision from long ago. The ocean was dark and only reminded him of his last fleeting moments. Though he had seen the tower before in his vision, the light was still overwhelming. Dread filled him once again. He had his instructions. Reluctantly he slid back in the water and slowly made his way towards the city lights on the distant shore to reclaim what was his.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Pizza World Continued**

The wheel vibrated violently in Robin's hands as he careened wildly into the wall. "Hey Cyborg, you cut me off!" Robin protested. Cyborg's car quickly pulled away on the screen as he extended his lead over the field.

"Hey, that's life in the big city Robin." Cyborg replied. It was just a game and Robin was taking this video race much too seriously. Cyborg smiled. It was worth the price of three quarters to see Robin blow his lid.

"No biggy, I'll catch you on the next turn. I'm the racing expert here." Robin confidently replied as he straightened out his car and stomped down on the gas.

"You're running out of track Robin" Cyborg taunted as the finish line appeared in the distance.

"It's turbo time!" Beast Boy cried out. He had saved his turbo for the end hoping to blow by Robin and Cyborg and steal the race at the last moment. Robin and Cyborg were jockeying for position. They quickly closed on each other and eliminated Beast Boy's chosen path. All three cars collided and spun out of control each coming to rest short of the finish line. The boys stared in shock at the screen. Before any of them could recover Starfire's car plodded across the finish line in first place.

"Starfire is the winner!" she proclaimed as her hands shot up in triumph. Beast Boy sat dumbfounded staring at the screen surveying the carnage. He soon felt the icy stares of Robin and Cyborg creep over his shoulders.

"Um, sorry?" was all he could offer.

Cyborg placed a hand on Beast Boys shoulder causing him to wince slightly. "Dude, they should never issue you a driver's license after that pitiful display."

Robin vaulted over the booth and landed next to Raven. Raven bounded upwards in her seat and quickly grabbed the table to steady herself. Once composed she shot an angry stare at Robin who returned a slight smirk.

"Does this look like the bat mobile?" she remarked still trying her best to shoot an icy stare at her partner. "Well you do have a cape" Robin replied. Raven frowned and looked away.

"What's up with you tonight?" Robin inquired. He decided to push his luck and see if he could get her to talk.

"You know I hate video games," Raven coolly replied.

"No there's something else, you've hardly eaten anything." Robin knew he was pushing his luck, but he figured it was worth a couple of days of icy stares to figure out what was wrong.

Raven looked down at the table at her unfinished meal. "Well it's hard to eat with Beast Boy and Cyborg the Barbarian at the table." She turned her head towards the other table where Beast Boy and Cyborg had moved on to a soda-drinking contest. Starfire was keeping count as the boys passed the twenty-soda mark.

Robin smiled briefly at his other partners antics then returned his attention to Raven. "Come on Raven, they're in public. This is pretty tame for them. Do you remember last week when Beast Boy substituted tofu in Cyborg's tacos?"

"Don't' remind me," Raven mildly protested. She looked up and fixed her eyes on Robin trying to gauge his level of concern. Her dark eyes focused on his for a moment. Somewhere in those dark calm eyes Robin knew there was a tempest of emotion. To contain her emotions, Raven built a thick wall of stoicism. This wall was generally impenetrable. Robin knew that no amount of pushing or prodding could move it. At that moment Robin thought he could see that wall melt in her eyes. A rush of emotion was poised to break free. Raven's eyes fell back to the table. She gathered herself and raised her head and focused her eyes back on Robin's. Her mouth cracked slightly as she struggled to form the words that had been trapped in her mind.

Robin's alarm pin interrupted them. There was trouble in the city.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: A Call in the Night**

Robin carefully maneuvered the T-car through the darkened streets towards the university. Raven rode shotgun while the rest of the crew took the back seat. Cyborg was in no condition to drive after the eat-fest him and Beast Boy had just completed. Robin checked the rearview mirror to see how they were holding up. Both of them looked several shades paler than normal and the weaving was not helping their situation much.

"Hey Robin take it easy or I'm gonna hurl all over the place," Beast Boy protested.

"Don't even think about doing that in the back of my car," Cyborg angrily replied. He quickly turned his head back towards the front fighting another sudden wave of nausea.

"Why are we even taking this one Robin," Beast Boy continued. "It's only a burglar alarm at the university."

"For once I'm with Beast Boy on this one," added Cyborg. He quickly leaned his face on the cool window glass for relief.

"Robin?" Starfire interjected. "I think in this case less speed would be a good idea." She quickly glanced in both directions trying to find some refuge from the gurgling stomachs surrounding her.

"We'll be there soon," Robin replied. "We'll turn things over to the police once they get there."

"That could be awhile since most of these streets still looked blocked," Raven added as she stared at the blackened city. She knew this alarm was related to the belt Beast Boy found and she suspected Robin did too.

The university's department of native studies was in a low unassuming building. Robin parked the T-car and scrambled out towards the front door. The others followed, as the door slams echoed through the empty streets. A faint light came from the front door. It looked like at least partial power had been restored to the campus. Robin went to the front doors and pushed them open. The others followed close behind. Inside was a partially lighted entryway. Towards the back sat a large guard desk. The guard stood in the middle of the entryway facing towards one of the hallways oblivious to their entrance. Robin shot a glimpse back to his partners who were all equally puzzled with the setting.

Robin turned back to the guard and walked towards him. He remained frozen in position. "Umm, excuse me, sir?" The guard remained transfixed and unresponsive. Robin lightly grasped his arm trying to garner his attention. "We got report of a forced entry. Did you call?"

The guard slowly came out of his daze and turned his head towards Robin who released his grasp. "Ah, yea. I heard something at the door and called it in. I guess I went to the door to get a better look." He paused and struggled to remember what happened next. "I don't know what happened after that. Next thing I knew I was talking to you."

Robin was unsure of what to make of the guard's story. "Is security up?" Cyborg interrupted. The guard looked over trying to recompose himself. "We've got some emergency power up. Some of the surveillance cameras are operational." He turned and walked towards his desk. Robin and Cyborg followed him to his post and surveyed some of the lighted screens. "Most of the doors are locked. The building should be secure," added the guard.

"You guys check out the wings, I'll stay here and relay anything we pick up on the cameras and cover the entrance in case our intruder tries to double back", Robin instructed.

"Beast Boy and I will take the west wing", Raven quickly replied. "Cyborg and Starfire, you've got the east wing." The others nodded as Robin sat dumbstruck at Raven's choice of partners.

"Let's go Beast Boy." Raven shot an icy stare at Beast Boy then turned towards the partially lighted corridor. Beast Boy was still in agony and did not notice Raven's exasperated look, only that she was moving much quicker than he really wanted to at the moment.

Raven turned the corner and looked down a short unlit corridor. She could hear Beast Boy slowly plodding along behind her. Robin was wrong; she had heard Beast Boy's snide comment last night. She was going to enjoy every bit of Beast Boy's predicament and even do her best to contribute to his misery. "Come on Beast Boy, pick up the pace", she looked back in annoyance as Beast Boy slowly trudged along behind her. Both of his arms were clasped around his stomach in a vain attempt to alleviate the great weight it had consumed. He was definitely in pain and several shades of green off his normal color. Raven silently smiled to herself hoping for a chance to push Beast Boy into a chase with whatever intruder lurked ahead.

"Slow down Raven or I'm gonna hurl", Beast Boy protested.

"What's the matter, didn't get enough to eat?" Raven replied.

"Oh, please", Beast Boy protested.

"It's inhuman to eat 13 pizzas at one sitting", she added.

Beast Boy doubled over slightly, closed his eyes and hugged is stomach harder. "Please don't mention food right now."

Raven noticed Beast Boy turn a paler shade of green with that exchange. She quickly turned so she could hide a snicker that she could no longer suppress. From around the corner she heard a light grunting.

Raven suddenly turned serious. Beast Boy's plight had been quite entertaining until that moment. "Hear that?" she whispered. "Yea", Beast Boy meekly replied. Raven took off around the corner. Beast Boy looked up and saw Raven disappear. He took a deep breath, groaned softly and willed his feet to move and follow his partner.

Raven rounded the corner and froze as her eyes tried to adjust to the sudden splurge of light. This corridor was relatively long. An emergency spotlight flooded light in her direction. On the other end of the hall a dark stooped figure pushed heavily at one of the doors. Raven took several hesitant steps towards the figure. Her footsteps echoed lightly down the hallway. The figure halted his work and quickly turned his head in her direction. A pair of glowing sickly yellow eyes met Raven's halting her in mid-step. The creature turned and quickly darted down the hall and rounded the next darkened corner.

Raven regained her composure and made her way towards the door that drew the creature's attention. Beast Boy came around the corner and made his way slowly to the door that Raven stood by. Her eyes remained fixed on the door as Beast Boy pulled up behind her. She slowly reached for the door and grasped the knob.

"What's up?" Beast Boy was panting behind her. He quickly doubled over and placed his hand on the wall to steady himself.

Raven shot a quick glance back. "Some one was trying to get in this door." She turned the knob. It was surprisingly unlocked. She pulled it open. The room was completely dark so she could not make out its contents. She let the door go and it quickly fell upon itself making a soft click as it shut.

"Not too bright, huh?" Beast boy replied as Raven turned to him to gauge his reaction.

"I'll go ahead and look for our guest. You stay here in case it tries to come back." Raven turned to go up the corridor where she saw the creature make its escape.

"Good idea." Beast Boy grunted. "Guard the door. I can handle that. Holler if you need me."

Raven slowly made her way to the corner. She looked back and saw Beast Boy slumped on the floor with his back to the door. She turned and reluctantly rounded the corner into the darkness.

No floodlights illuminated this corridor. Her footsteps echoed softly on the tiled floor. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness as she slowly proceeded. At the far end of the hall she saw the dim red light of an exit sign. She could hear soft grunting emanating from the darkness.

"I got you," Raven quietly whispered as she closed in. The intruder remained crouch frantically struggling to open the door and make its escape.

"Ok, hold it right there." Raven announced. The grunting stopped and two glowing yellow eyes pierced the darkness. Raven shuddered briefly then took several halting steps. "What are you?" Curiosity finally over whelmed her initial unease. The soft red light from the exit sign reflected off the intruder's body giving her a slight hint of its size.

Raven felt a small light focus in her mind. She watched as her right hand rose into the air. "Open." The word unexpectedly fell from her lips. The doors swung open wildly and the creature quickly turned and bolted into the darkness leaving her dumbfounded.

The cool night breeze lightly touched Raven's face gently rousing her from her stupor. She slowly lowered her hand and walked towards the open door. The creature had somehow used her powers to make its escape. She glanced out the door to no avail. Whatever it was it was gone now. She quickly closed the door and made her way back down the hall towards the light.

She rounded the corner and saw a group of people huddled by the door. She picked up her pace wondering how long she had stood in front of the open door.

The others turned as they heard soft footsteps coming towards them. Two beams of light quickly shot down the darkened corridor towards her. "Easy guys she's with us," Cyborg's voice echoed slightly in the darkness. Raven's eyes stung as the beams focused on her. She raised her hands to block the light, which was soon extinguished. She lowered her hands and continued towards the group.

"Where have you been Raven?" Beast boy inquired.

She shot back an annoyed stare unsure how to reply. How long had she been gone? As she entered the group she quickly pulled her hood down. Why was it up?

"Actually we just got here Raven," Robin quickly added trying to impose himself between these two antagonizers. "Beast Boy said you saw the intruder," he added.

Raven pulled her eyes from Beast Boy and focused them on Robin. "Yea. It was trying to get in this door. I chased him down the hallway and," her voice tailed off unsure how to describe what happened next. She paused briefly then continued. "It got out one of the side doors before I could catch it." Robin cocked his head slightly and his eyes narrowed upon hearing Raven's explanation. She could tell he had sensed something strange in her story. She quickly lowered her eyes.

"Well, everything looks ok," replied one of the guards. "We can take it from here. If we turn up anything we'll let you know."

"Sounds good," Robin replied. "Ok team let's head home."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Intruder on the Island**

The ride back to the tower was uneventful. No conversations were struck. The group was weary after the long day. Raven stared out the window avoiding any eye contact with Robin. Had he been convinced or had he noted the brief hesitation in her story? She wasn't sure. She had been very close to revealing her vision to Robin. Now she was convinced that Robin would not fully understand her predicament. As they neared the tower Raven felt a presence on the island. More dread filled her weary body.

"Home at last," Cyborg announced the group's arrival in the main room. Beast Boy slowly trudged into the room. "I don't know about the rest of you but I'm getting a shower and hitting the hay."

"By all means," Cyborg replied as he waved his hands pretending to drive away a horrible stench emanating from Beast Boy.

"I think I'll go outside for a walk," Raven announced. "Come on Starfire." She firmly grasped her hand and led her from the room. Robin looked at the pair as they left. Something was up but he figured all of his prodding had come up with nothing. Maybe someone with a lighter touch would have more luck.

Starfire and Raven made their way outside as the ocean waters lightly lapped at the rocky shore. "Raven, what is this walk for?" Starfire inquired. Raven stopped and turned to her friend. Of all the people on the team Starfire was the one to discuss the presence she had felt and what had happened at the university. She would not question her.

"Starfire," Raven paused trying to choose her words carefully. "Something happened at the university that I didn't feel comfortable sharing with the rest of you." Starfire's face showed concerned for her friend. Raven smiled recognizing she would not unfairly judge her.

"The intruder at the university is on the island, I can sense it," Raven continued. Starfire's eyes quickly darted away trying to focus on her surroundings. "Shouldn't we get the others?" Starfire replied. Raven placed her hand on Starfire's shoulder to regain her attention. "It's just a feeling, I'm not really sure if it's here," Raven continued. Starfire's green eyes focused on her friend's. Raven looked down. "Starfire, I kind of let it go. It used my powers. I couldn't stop it." Starfire raised her hand and gently clasped Ravens arm. Her eyes came up and met her's once again. "We should tell the others."

Ravens eye's filled with panic. "No Star, it's just a feeling. I don't want Robin to freak out if I'm wrong. Let's take a look around. We can handle this." Starfire lowered her hand and nodded. Raven's head turned and focused on a corner of the island. "It's over there. Come on." Raven released her grasp and led them towards the presence.

Raven thought she could make out a silhouette crouched on the rocky shore ahead. She raised her hood and then pointed in the direction of their intended target. Starfire nodded as they quietly made there way towards their target.

Starfire's thoughts raced through her head. A being that possessed the power to control others was not something to take lightly. She wished Raven had summoned the others. Fear grew in her. She would strike fast and hard and not allow this creature to claim her mind. She could not see or feel their intended target. That was the worst thing about the situation.

The darkness was almost complete. Starfire proceeded slowly, gingerly working her way over the rocks. Raven proceeded slightly ahead of her. They were several yards from the shore when Raven's foot slipped out from under her. She grunted and quickly shot her hands down in a vain attempt to break her fall. The rocks clacked under her, breaking the soft silence on the island. Ahead of her, Starfire saw one of the large boulders near the shore move. A pair of glowing yellow eyes pierced the darkness. Starfire's skin crawled at the sight. She quickly shot a couple of fast starbolts at those eyes trying to slip a quick punch in on the creature before her mind fell victim to it. The instant green flash overwhelmed the darkness and briefly blinded them all.

Raven quickly recovered and regained her stance. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she could see a figure cowering near the shore, its arms raised over its head in a defensive posture. Raven turned to Starfire who was poised to unleash another more potent volley. She quickly reached out and grabbed her friend's arm.

"Wait Starfire," Raven said. Starfire's eyes were a bright green consumed with fear and poised to strike. "But you said that," Raven quickly interrupted her. "It's ok Starfire." She fixed her gaze on her trying to reassure her. Starfire began to relax as the glow in her eyes slowly receded. Raven released her grip and Starfire's arms fell to her sides. The creature lowered its arms and fixed his gaze on them trying to assess the girl's intentions.

Robin and Cyborg quickly scampered over the rocky shore towards the source of Starfire's bolts. Each carried an industrial light whose beams wildly bounded through the darkness. Robin had been watching out the windows when he saw a green flash on the corner of the island. Him and Cyborg were the first to reach the area, Beast Boy followed behind them struggling to pull his shirt over his matted hair. Robin and Cyborg's lights focused on Raven. She turned her head and raised her hand to shield from the sudden intrusion.

"Chill out with the light guys," she calmly implored. Beast Boy straightened his shirt and took his place behind Cyborg and Robin. Both lowered their beams slightly and took stock of the scene. Raven turned her back on the boys to see what their lights revealed. Starfire stood with her back to them. Her hair gently rustled in the night breeze. Beyond her a strange creature stooped on a large rock near the shore. Its dark skin faintly glistened in the light. It turned its head and tried to overcome the light that shone on it. Its eyes tightened at the oncoming glare. It was roughly humanoid in form. Its hands and feet were webbed and a large tail wrapped around its feet.

"Ok, what is it?" Cyborg's voice interrupted the silence. He lowered his light slightly removing its focus from the creature. Its eyes unnerved all of them. The rest of the Titans turned to Beast Boy.

Beast Boy suddenly became aware of the group's communal stare. "I don't know what it is. What am I some kind of animal expert?" He blushed as he suddenly realized what he said.

"What's it doing here?" Robin continued.

"I'm not sure," Raven replied.

"Can we communicate with it?" Cyborg added. Again the group turned to Beast Boy.

Beast Boy shrugged. "Hey, I can only turn into them, not communicate with them. Besides I don't even know what that is."

After a brief silence a faint idea popped into Raven's mind. "I think I may have something." She started back to the tower gingerly making her way over the rocks. Robin followed in silence.

Raven reached her room door with Robin following behind her. She paused at her door and turned her head slightly glancing at Robin. He paused as her door slid open and she walked inside. Robin was stranded at the threshold wondering if he should enter. After a moment's pause he decided to wait for Raven's return.

Raven stepped into her room, stopped and noted Robin's hesitation. She said nothing then turned towards one of her bookshelves and pulled out one of the ancient tomes. She flipped through the pages and found the spell she was looking for. She glanced over the page, closed the book and returned it to the shelf. She turned to exit her room. She reached for something on the shelf next to her door and proceeded out of her room. She stopped in front of Robin as her door slid closed behind her and casually flipped a small stone in the air and caught it in her hand.

Robin shot her a puzzled look. "A rock?" he asked hesitantly.

Raven smiled slightly. "A speaking stone. It's an old spell." She continued down the hall.

"Oh," was all Robin could offer in response. He turned and followed her down the hall.

"Snake."

"Frog."

"Snake."

Cyborg sounded exasperated at this pointless debate. His light still illuminated the corner of the island where they had discovered the creature. There was nothing to do but wait for Robin and Raven to return. In the mean time he was struggling with Beast Boy to figure out what this thing was. "Come on Beast Boy look at its hands and feet. It's some sort of human frog."

"What about the tail?" Beast Boy quickly countered. Cyborg sighed. He couldn't explain that one. "Well maybe Raven can put an end to this," he replied. Him and Beast Boy turned their attention back to the tower.

Starfire stood several yards from the creature her arms folded across her chest. She was casually listening to Beast Boy and Cyborg's debate. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the creature that still crouched on the rock by the shore. She had felt a bit of remorse over her actions. The creature appeared harmless to her. She opened her eyes. The creature sat crouched on the rock as before staring at the lights of the city. She took several halting steps towards it. The creature turned its head on her approach. Their eyes met. Starfire felt a great sadness in them.

"I'm sorry I attacked you," she softly said to the creature. Its eyes broke from hers and returned to the city. "We will find out why you are here," she added. She stepped forward and took a seat slightly behind the creature and stared at the city lights reflecting off the wavy surface of the ocean that separated them from the far off shore.

Cyborg and Beast Boy saw the beam of Robin's light emerge from the tower. They would be back shortly. Both turned their gaze back to the creature. Starfire had quietly taken a seat next to it.

"Man what is it with her and strange animals." Beast boy whispered to Cyborg. Cyborg shrugged. Both waited for Robin and Raven to join them.

Raven and Robin returned. Both took note of Starfire's new position. They both turned to Beast Boy and Cyborg who shrugged in response.

"Ok, let's see what you are," Raven announced. Starfire and the creature turned and fixed their gaze on Raven. Starfire place her hand on the creatures shoulder. "Do not worry she is my friend," she gently reassured him. She stood and walked back to join the others. Raven stepped towards the creature. Its eye's focused on her as it remained crouched near the shore.

Raven raised her right hand. Her focus passed to a small stone gently clasped in her fingers. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her spell. "Percepio." Ravens voice echoed in the darkness. The stone began to glow softly under Raven's enchantment. Raven opened her eyes and quickly popped the glowing stone in her mouth.

"A rock?" Beast Boy said in a hushed voice.

"A speaking stone, it's an old spell," Robin replied. He continued to focus on Raven.

Raven took another step towards the creature. The creature stood up slightly in some sense of recognition. Raven paused as she realized she wasn't sure what to say. "We are the Teen Titans. What have you come here for?" It was a lame introduction but she wasn't sure what else to say. The creature tilted its head slightly and blinked its eyes. No response.

Raven sighed. She turned around and looked at the others. "I don't think it worked." She turned back to the creature. It looked down then shuffled towards her. Raven was unnerved by the creature's sudden movement but she did not yield her ground. It scrambled to Raven's feet then slowly stood up in front of her.

The creature's stooping posture had masked its size. It was still slightly stooped as its yellow eyes met Raven's. Its front arms extended slowly towards Raven and its webbed hands opened up, palms facing her.

Raven's instinctively raised her arms. "Ok, we'll try it your way." She said. She took a deep breath and pushed her open hands against the creature's webbed hands. Its head slowly extended towards her. She could feel its warm breath hit her face as her eyes became locked on the pale yellow disks that slowly drew closer. She was falling into them drawn slowly at first, then faster into their deep cavernous expanse. The smell of smoke filled her nostrils as darkness slowly receded around the creature's eyes.

The rest of the Titans watched as the creature slowly drew closer to Raven. Soon the creature's head towered over her. Both of their eyes were locked in an unblinking gaze. The creature's large mouth opened emitting a white smoke that soon enveloped the pair.

Cyborg had seen enough. He raised his sonic cannon and took aim at the white cloud that had formed around the pair. "I don't like the look of this." Robin grabbed Cyborg's arm. "No. Raven knows what she's doing." Cyborg looked at Robin, then dropped his arm back to his side.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: In the Longhouse**

The smell of pine needles and smoke filled Ravens nose. A loud snap startled her and her vision returned. She was inside some type of building. Her eyes were cast skyward. She could see several stars through a hole in the roof. Embers and smoke were floating upwards towards the opening.

Slowly feeling came back to her body. She could feel warmness on her palms. She lowered her head and came face to face with an Indian shaman. The left side of his face was painted blood red the other jet black. His pupils were dark, accentuated by the whites of his eyes. The sides of his head were shaved and his black hair was pulled up in a ball. His paint ended at the bottom of his neck. A leather pouch hung around his neck and dangled loosely on his bare chest. He sat cross-legged in deerskin trousers. His bare feet were tucked neatly under his knees. Thin tendrils of smoke rose from a clay bowl that lay on the bare earth between them.

Raven quickly lowered her hands and stood up. She noticed that she now wore a long deerskin dress. Underneath her feet lay a soft matt. She held her arms up and frowned as she inspected her new cloths.

"Ok, this is weird even for me. Where are we?"

The shaman returned a puzzled look, then turned towards the floor near the fire and began looking for something. His hands closed around a small object on the floor. He slowly rose and extended his right hand. In his palm Raven noticed a small stone.

"Right, thanks," Raven took the stone and began her spell. "Percepio." The stone began to glow under Raven's enchantment. She handed the shaman the glowing stone. He tentatively took it and held it up to his eyes for a closer inspection. The shaman's eyes turned to Raven who nodded slightly. She saw a faint look of mistrust in his eyes. He placed the stone in his mouth and began to work it around looking for a comfortable spot.

The shaman's first words came out garbled. Raven's heart sank. The Indian turned his gaze downward as he cleared his throat.

"Forgive me," he said softly. After taking a deep breath he looked up and continued. "I am Sullen Eagle, spirit master to the turtle clan of the Lenape. Welcome to the longhouse of my people." He paused again and looked downward. "I am sorry I have no gifts to offer you."

Raven hesitated unsure how to reply. "My name is Raven." She could think of nothing else and an awkward silence followed.

After a few moments Sullen Eagle continued. "Raven?" Raven nodded acknowledging her name. "You are the spirit master and leader of the group I saw in the outer world?" Sullen Eagle's face froze in confusion. He had expected her to explain her position following her name and was himself unsure how to continue. He knew she had been a prominent person in the group. Both of the women appeared to possess special powers but Raven seemed well versed in the powers of the spirits. A female spirit master was almost unheard of in his world. Men often held the prominent positions of chief and spirit master but it was the women through back channels that usually held sway over the tribe. It appeared to Sullen Eagle that Raven and the other woman had bypassed this arrangement.

Raven was not sure how to answer Sullen Eagle's question. They seemed worlds apart and separated by untold centuries. "Um, my powers are a bit different than yours. The people you saw with me are my friends. We call ourselves the Teen Titans. We're kind of the self appointed guardians of the city."

Sullen Eagle nodded slightly acknowledging her reply even though he could not fully understand what she was saying. He suddenly felt overwhelmed by the situation and unsure how to proceed. He slowly lowered himself back to his mat, folded his feet under his knees, turned his head and looked blankly into the fire.

After a moment Raven lowered herself onto the mat and rested her hands on her knees. Sullen Eagle turned his head back to her; his dark eyes glimmered softly in the firelight. "I have been alone here for so long in silence." This he said vacantly as if she was not there. He paused then seemed to return back from his thoughts. He smiled at Raven. "It is nice to have someone to talk to again."

A light fluttering of wings came from the darkness as a bird perched on Sullen Eagles left shoulder. Sullen Eagle turned his head towards the bird in acknowledgement. "No, I did not forget my spirit companion who has accompanied me on my journey."

Raven gauzed curiously at the small pigeon-like bird that sat on Sullen Eagle's shoulder. It was a bit difficult to make out its coloring in the faint firelight.

"Spirit companion?" Raven asked curiously.

"Yes," Sullen Eagle continued. "All of my people have spirit companions. They connect us to the Great Spirit and the spirit world. I summoned my spirit companion when I became spirit master. You do not have one?"

"I've never been into pets." She replied. Raven held up her right hand and the pigeon instinctively flew over and perched on it. The light was better and she gazed at the bird closely soaking up its details. The bird's chest was a deep orange color; brighter near its head then fading to white nears its legs. Its head, wings and tail feathers were slate blue and its eyes were crimson. It was unlike any bird she had ever seen and it exuded a jittery power and fury as it perched contentedly on her finger.

"Amimi, please greet our guest properly," Sullen Eagle gently scolded. Amimi's head cocked to one side making brief contact with Sullen Eagle. The bird's focus returned to Raven. Amimi lowered his head and splayed out its wings in a formal bow, stood up then flew back to Sullen Eagle's shoulder.

Raven briefly focused on the bird then turned back to Sullen Eagle. "You made me open the door at the university," she inquired firmly. Sullen Eagle thought back to his first encounter with her. He lowered his head and Raven caught a small sense of remorse. "Yes," he replied as he lowered his head. "It was a simple trick. I meant you no disrespect." He had used his powers in violation of someone's free will. This was a grievous action but he had felt at that time it was his only option.

Raven was puzzled over his response. "How did you do it," she inquired.

Sullen Eagle looked up and smiled. He was relieved she was not angry. "It's simple. You just project yourself into the other person's mind and plant a simple command. Any command will do but you can not command the person to harm himself. May I show you?" Raven nodded eager to discover this new spell.

Sullen Eagle's face became serious as his eyes met hers. Raven could feel a faint light form in her mind. A sneeze suddenly overwhelmed her. Sullen Eagle smiled wryly.

"Go ahead, you try." Raven chose her plant then focused on Sullen Eagle's mind. A loud belch erupted from him sending Amimi fluttering off his shoulder momentarily. A brief look of surprise on Sullen Eagle's face was followed by a look of pride that she had mastered this spell so quickly. Sullen Eagle then burst into relieved laughter and Raven soon joined him. He felt relief as they're halting introduction was beginning to turn into a more casual conversation.

Raven decided to move on to the business at hand. "Sullen Eagle, why have you come to us?" Sullen Eagle paused as he tried to get a read on his guest. How much should he share with her, how much did she already know and what were her intentions. He decided that she knew enough.

Sullen Eagle reached to his left and picked up a small pinch of material and dropped it in the bowl that lay between them. Fresh smoke wafted into the air as a pungent odor penetrated Raven's nose. The Indian then picked up a stick and drew a large circle on the floor between them encompassing the bowl. In this circle an image began to form in the smoke and Sullen Eagle began to talk.

"It was during the Starving Time. The rains had failed; the rivers ran dry and the earth cracked with dust. Many of my people had died from want of food. I was sent by the elders to consult the spirits on Tinicum, the island that is now your home in the outer world. Amimi and I made our way to the island in our canoe after sunset. As I neared the island I saw a light on the water." In the circle Raven saw a long ago image of the island where their Tower would one day reside. The light was coming from a large European galleon that was slowly working its way past the island. Sullen Eagle continued. "I stared at the light and was overtaken by a vision of my people's lands." The image in the circle quickly changed to current view of the Tower and the city. "I do not know how long I watched this vision but a fierce storm descended on me." In the circle the image of the Tower and the city melted away and in its place a fierce storm came into view. Sullen Eagle sat in his dugout canoe desperately grasping the sides as waves crashed across his small boat. "I tried to make my way to Tinicum but my boat sank and I crossed into the spirit word."

The image in the circle faded and Raven looked up into Sullen Eagle's piercing eyes. "I'm sorry," Raven replied.

A long silence followed as Sullen Eagle tuned his gaze to the small bowl that sat between them. "I have been waiting here since my passage."

"Waiting?" Raven asked cautiously.

"Yes. I am the keeper of my people's relic. I can not pass into the spirit world until I have retrieved it." His eyes focused intensely on Raven's. She felt Sullen Eagle's maddening need for the relic's return. He continued, "You know what I seek, return it to me."

Sullen eagle added more material to the bowl and a fresh wave of smoke quickly rose and engulfed the pair. Her eyes stung from the smoke and her lungs began to spasm. A sharp coughing fit followed. When Raven regained her breath she was back on the shore by the tower. Her friends stood in a small group anxious for her to speak.

Raven looked back to Sullen Eagle. She spit her stone into her hand not wanting him to hear her words. "Let's go inside. We need to talk."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Assessment**

Inside the Tower Robin, Raven, Cyborg and Beast Boy huddled in front of a large counsel. On it was a picture of Sullen Eagle's spirit companion.

"Yea, that's it", Raven calmly replied.

Cyborg glanced at the screen in disbelief. "That's a Passenger Pigeon. The last one died in the Cincinnati Zoo almost one hundred years ago."

"Whoa." Beast Boy struggled to comprehend what Raven had told them.

"Well, a lot of what he told you checks out," Cyborg continued. "The Lenape lived in this area several centuries ago."

"Then we give him the belt back and he can go, right?" Beast Boy hesitantly offered.

"Relics aren't things you casually hand over to strangers," Raven coolly replied. "They are powerful tools capable of destroying worlds. Some of the most powerful ones have strong personalities capable of taking over their welders."

"Well now what do we do?" Cyborg inquired. "The records are pretty sparse regarding Indian relics."

"We just need some time," Raven replied. "I'm sure we can turn something up with the university profs."

"I'm with Raven on this one," Robin added. "We shouldn't turn something this powerful over to someone we don't know anything about."

Starfire entered the room and approached the group. "Have we decided what to do?"

"Raven thinks we should hold off on turning the belt over to our guest," Cyborg answered.

Starfire turned to Raven with a sad look. "I do not think our guest will like our decision."

"What's our guest up to?" Cyborg inquired.

"He is resting downstairs," Starfire replied.

"That sounds like a good plan for all of us", Robin continued. "We'll make a fresh start of it in the morning." The group collectively nodded in agreement.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: Escape**

Raven awoke at her desk. Her head was resting awkwardly on her arm. She slowly lifted her head as her neck creaked and her back stiffened. A small groan emerged from her as she attempted to straighten her back in the chair. She looked down and felt a warm wetness on her hand from a pool of drool that had formed on her desk. "Oh, gross" she softly spoke to herself.

She had remained up for several hours scouring her books for a description of any Indian relics from the past. Nothing was all she had found. It seamed that all traces of the ancient Lenape had been obliterated from the records. Raven felt a sudden urge to check on their guest.

The Tower's alarm lights woke the others and summoned them downstairs. When they arrived they found Raven staring crossly at a vacant eyed Beast Boy. The door to the outside hung open and their guest was nowhere to be seen.

"What happened?" Robin quickly blurted out.

"Looks like blunder boy let our guest out," Raven calmly replied. She raised her hand and quickly struck Beat Boy's cheek bringing him out of his stupor.

"Ouch, what was that for?" Beast Boy protested. His expression quickly changed to a puzzled look as he took in his surroundings. "Hey what's going on?"

"Looks like you helped our guest fly the coop," Cyborg dryly added.

"Never mind that, he's probably headed to the university," Robin interrupted. "We've got to act fast."

"Starfire and I will head over." Raven coolly replied. "You guys take the T-car and meet us there." Raven and Starfire scampered out the door and took off towards the university. The eastern sky was beginning to brighten. Raven wondered how much of a head start Sullen Eagle had gotten.

Raven and Starfire quickly descended on the building they had visited several hours earlier. A strange creature emerged from the doors below them. Raven knew immediately that it was Sullen Eagle and that they were too late.

Sullen Eagle's body had morphed into a strange combination of different animals. The main part took the form of a large white snake. A pair of powerful wings sprouted from its back and a pair of lanky arms hung loosely by its side. Eagle legs sprouted out further down his body. The belt was tied around the creature's midsection.

Sullen Eagle quickly spotted the pair of women coming towards him. His heart sank. He did not want to confront them but he must complete his task. He took flight attempting to outrun the pair into the wooded slopes surrounding the city.

"It's Sullen Eagle, we've got to stop him." Raven instructed. Starfire looked over and nodded in agreement. Raven pulled out her communicator and signaled the boys. "Robin, we're too late Sullen Eagle has the belt. We'll follow him. Get a lock on us and catch up."

"We're on it," Robin quickly replied.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Battle in the Clearing**

Sullen Eagle glided to the ground landing in a clearing outside of the city. He hurried into the nearby forest looking for a patch of oak. He quickly scanned the nearby trees searching for a familiar stand. So much had changed. After a few moments he spotted a small oak. He grasped a nearby branch and broke off a small limb. He ran his fingers across the leaves and felt their waxy texture. His attention turned back to the tree. He laid his hand along its rough bark. Though the tree's girth was enough to hide his body it was but a fragment of the size of the great oak trees he had seen in his time. He rested his face on the side and took a deep breath of the forest. All he had remembered was gone. He was suddenly overwhelmed with a feeling of loss. But he felt something of his past still here in this forest. Things had changed but fragments of the past still existed after all this time. There was a new balance here. Sullen Eagle slowly emerged from his thoughts as he felt the presence of the women behind him. He closed his eyes, sighed then turned reluctantly to face his pursuers.

Raven and Starfire landed and saw Sullen Eagle near a tree along the clearing's edge. Raven looked at Starfire. Both of them seemed unsure how to proceed. Raven turned back to Sullen Eagle and cautiously stepped towards him. His pink eyes pulsed lightly as he focused on her. There was a short pause between the two sides as each sized up the situation. Then the conflict began.

Sullen Eagle raised his left arm and a sudden burst of thunder erupted from the trees that lined the clearing as a million wings thrashed in the air. A mad rush of birds bounded towards the girls. Raven quickly raised her hands in defense awaiting an attack from the swarm that surrounded her. Nothing happened. The birds swirled around her, a mass of crimson eyes and fluttering wings. Raven quickly recognized their form; she was surrounded by an ancient flock of Passenger Pigeons. "No, this can't be, you're extinct." A sudden liberating force welled up in Raven's body. Her arms swung out as the tendrils of power burst forth from her.

"No, YOU CAN'T EXIST!" Her voice echoed through the clearing. A shock wave shot through the flock. Small cries erupted as the birds faded from Raven's sight. In their place swirling leaves rushed about her head. Quickly the wind died and the leaves gently settled around Raven's feet.

Raven turned to Starfire. Wind and debris swirled around her body as she frantically waved her arms in a desperate attempt to fend off the illusionary flock that surrounded her.

"Starfire, listen to me, it's an illusion. Close your eyes and try and concentrate," Raven implored her friend. Starfire closed her eyes, straightened up and tried to relax and focus. She opened her eyes and the whirlwind of debris that engulfed her quickly dissipated. Starfire turned to Raven and smiled. Both turned their gaze back to Sullen Eagle.

Sullen Eagle cupped his hands at eye level, brought them down slightly and closed them. He quickly flung his cupped hands skyward and opened them. Amimi emerged and fluttered around the shaman. The bird quickly multiplied and Sullen Eagle was surrounded by a multitude of fluttering wings and crimson eyes.

Starfire turned to Raven unsure what to do next. Raven pulled up her hood and raised her hands in preparation for an attack. Using her powers she extracted a large boulder. It hovered in readiness. Raven glanced over towards Starfire. "Come on Starfire," she implored. Starfire acknowledged her request and prepared to launch her starbolts towards Sullen Eagle. Their combined attack glanced off harmlessly. Amimi was forming some type of shield around the Lenape shaman.

Sullen Eagle bent down and pulled a clump of earth from the ground. He flung it towards the girls. Raven watched as the clump approached her and quickly expanded into a sheet of darkness. She raised her arms and attempted to use her powers to shield herself and Starfire. Darkness engulfed the pair. Raven became disoriented and frightened.

"Starfire, where are you?"

Starfire's voice softly echoed in the void, "I am here Raven." Starfire cupped her hands and charged her starbolts. A faint green light began to build in her hands intensifying slowly then quickly bursting outwards as it overwhelmed the dark void surrounding the pair. The clearing came back into focus. Both girls sighed in relief.

Sullen Eagle raised his left hand. The leaves on the oak branch momentarily fluttered then hissed as Sullen Eagle quickly brought the branch downwards towards the ground.

Upon contact Raven felt something climbing up her legs. She looked down to see a multitude of vines emerge from the ground and work their way up her legs. She looked over to Starfire who was suffering the same fate. A wave a panic filled her as the vines quickly entangled her legs and worked their way past her waist. Her powers were useless and her previous vision of suffocation became suddenly real.

"Starfire!" Raven's panic voice hastened Starfire's actions. Summoning her great strength she attempted to break free. The vines strained heavily under her attempt but did not break. Starfire threw several starbolts downwards quickly severing the vine's ties to her body. She rose up from the ground and quickly flew towards Raven.

Raven's eyes were consumed with panic and fear. The vines had fully entangled her lower body. Raven's hands reached for her friend's. Starfire took hold and attempted to pull her friend from her trap. Raven groaned in agony. "Starfire, you're pulling me apart." Starfire released her grip and took careful aim at the vines that ensnared her friend. She fired off a brief round near Raven's feet. This was enough to allow Raven to break free and float above the blackened vines that had held her.

Sullen Eagle looked on in despair. Time was short. He would have to open the gate without having disabled his pursuers. Amimi would have to be enough. He entered his trance.

Raven rubbed her scratched and swollen legs. She was convinced she had narrowly avoided the fate that had befallen her in her vision. She saw Sullen Eagle turn from them and look to the east. The sun was almost up. Sullen Eagle raised his hands as Amimi continued to flutter around him protecting him from their attacks. A glowing arch began to take form in front of him.

"A gateway, he's opening a gateway," Raven said in panic. What was he doing? Raven's mind began to race with all of the possibilities.

"Starfire, we've got to stop him."

"He is too strong Raven," Starfire replied.

"He has to have total concentration to open the gateway." A plan quickly formed in Raven's mind.

"Starfire, I need to get his attention. Can you send off a volley to get him to look this way?'

"I can try," Starfire calmly answered.

"Do it and do it quick and be ready to attack on my signal," Raven instructed

Starfire nodded in acknowledgement. She gathered her hands in front of her and charged a starbolt between them. The glow intensified until it began to strain her eyes. At the last second Starfire threw the ball of energy upwards. It exploded in a burst of streaking light in all directions. Raven concentrated on Sullen Eagle waiting and hoping the shaman would glance over. The light from the starburst overwhelmed the twilight changing shadow angles instantaneously. Sullen Eagle turned towards the sudden burst of light and sneezed.

"Now, Starfire," Raven yelled. For an instant the gateway dimmed and the swirling clumps of wings vanished around the shaman. Starfire unloaded a volley at Sullen Eagle. Raven uprooted several nearby trees and hurled them with all her strength. An explosion of light and debris solidly connected with Sullen Eagle. The archway faded as the first tendrils of the morning light pierced the horizon. Raven could hear the roar of the T-car through the forest. The rest of the team had arrived at last.

Sullen Eagle struggled to pull himself from the debris. He emerged into the first rays of the morning light staggering. What had happened to Amimi? He began to frantically pull at the debris on the ground seeking his spirit guide. He could see the bird's bottom portion underneath a large pine branch. He quickly moved the branch and confirmed what he already knew. The bird's eyes were half closed in a death stare. He gently cupped his friend's broken body as its head dangled down from the tips of his fingers. His heart filled with anger and despair. They would pay, especially the one who had turned the tables on him so quickly.

Raven and Starfire watched as the ragged form of Sullen Eagle slowly extricated himself. They had stopped him. He seemed unaware of their presence as he frantically clawed at the debris that littered the ground. He suddenly paused and knelt down. He had found something. In his hands the girls could make out the form of a small bird whose head dangled from Sullen Eagle's fingertips.

"Amimi," Raven quietly whispered. "Oh no."

Sullen Eagle quickly turned to face the girls. His eyes had changed to blood red and pulsed violently in anger. His wings beat hastily and a great whirlwind broke forth and consumed Starfire. She screamed as the whirlwind threw her into the nearby forest tumbling several large trees in the process.

Sullen Eagle turned to Raven consumed in the fire of hatred. The debris surrounding him rose up from the ground. Raven took a few halting steps backwards and raised her arms in a meager defense. Within seconds the debris was hurtling towards her. She was helpless as it struck her body knocking her down and piling on her.

"Raven," Robin screamed as he exited the T-car. The other boys quickly followed Robin.

Sullen Eagle took a few halting steps forward. In his left hand he clasped the broken body of his spirit companion. Hatred had consumed him and now he would use it to consume the others. There was no point in survival he had already crossed the line.

Cyborg and Beast Boy quickly removed the larger forest debris. Underneath they found the broken body of their friend.

"Raven?" Robin's voice implored her to get up but she lay motionless. Almost instantly he knew she would not.

"Is she alright?" Beast Boy added though he also knew they were too late.

Cyborg took his eyes from his friend and focused them on the new form Sullen Eagle had taken. Without a word he armed his sonic cannon. Robin glanced over and nodded in silent agreement. The boys turned to Sullen Eagle prepared to take their revenge. Sullen Eagle returned their contempt. He was prepared to give himself up in the process.

"Wait," Starfire's voice temporarily halted the proceedings. She stumbled forward putting herself between the two parties.

"Starfire, he killed Raven," Robin sneered in anger.

She looked at Robin briefly giving him slight pause. She smiled slightly then turned her back on her friends and slowly approached Sullen Eagle.

Sullen Eagle's chest heaved wildly as he prepared himself. Starfire approached him.

"Sullen Eagle, you must help Raven," she quietly implored. "You can do this. You can make this right." She walked towards the hulking form and laid her hand on Sullen Eagle's left hand, which held the remains of Amimi. "Please." She looked up into Sullen Eagle's eyes. The pulsing faded as the fire began to recede.

Sullen Eagle was immediately disarmed. He could not disobey the request of a woman of her stature. He reluctantly dropped his friend and slowly walked towards Raven's broken body. He did not see the other's angry stares. He knelt down beside her and removed the belt from his midsection. Immediately he transformed back to his Mantis form. He placed the belt over Raven's forehead and slowly stood up.

A brilliant light washed over Raven's body and her eyes slowly opened. She sat up and gasped for air. Her head drooped and her hand slowly pushed her hair out of her face.

"Raven!" Beast Boy shouted in relief. Robin and Beast Boy quickly bounded over and helped Raven to her feet. Raven's arms slung around her friends heads as she used them to steady herself. Her head still drooped slightly as the feeling began to return to her body.

Sullen Eagle turned and slowly made his way back to Amimi's broken body. He knelt down and again slowly cupped his hands around the body of his former spirit companion. In the morning light the bird's body melted to dust that blew away as the first morning breeze touched the earth. Sullen Eagle closed his hands as the dust bled through his fingers. A low cry of despair erupted from him as the dust quickly settled into the grass.

Raven glanced at the sun. It was quickly breaking over the horizon. She closed her eyes trying to shake the dizziness that had consumed her. "Where's the belt," she frantically asked. "What," Robin replied. "We need to take him back," she continued.

"Here," Cyborg offered the belt to Raven.

Raven clasped the belt and staggered from her friends' grasp. She wobbled slightly then clasped both ends of the belt and quickly raised them over her head. She pulled the ends taught and the belt snapped. A glowing archway appeared several yards ahead of her. "Come on we have to go through the gate before the sun gets over the horizon." Raven staggered towards the gateway and disappeared to the other side.

"Come on," Robin implored the others. The boys quickly scampered through the gateway leaving Starfire and Sullen Eagle.

"Come," Starfire gently implored. She grasped his hand and led him through the gateway.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Judgment**

Robin, Cyborg and Beast Boy stumbled out of the gateway. It took several moments before their eyes adjusted. They were coming out of a dark forest into an open glen. It was twilight and a slight breeze brought the musty smell of the land to them. The clearing was several hundred yards wide. On the other side of the clearing the forest stretched hundreds of feet in the air. The trees were unbelievably tall and thick. Virgin stands that had disappeared from the continent generations ago. Cyborg looked down and was whole once more. The hair on his exposed upper body stood on end. Haltingly he raised his hands to run over his smooth face. The colors he saw, though dull we his own once more.

Beast Boy stood dumbfounded by his surroundings. The jungles he remembered as a kid rivaled these. He slowly walked forward into the tall grass of the glen. Robin noticed a woman in a white buckskin dress frantically searching through the grass on all fours in front of him.

"Um, excuse me," Robin started meekly unsure what had just happened.

"It's me Robin," Raven's voice replied slightly annoyed. Hadn't the boys ever seen her in a dress? "A little help here, we haven't got much time," she continued. The rest of the boys looked at her not knowing what they should do.

Starfire and Sullen Eagle crossed over. She released his hand, smiled then slowly made her way towards her friends. Sullen Eagle glanced around for a moment then took several steps to separate himself from the group.

"Got it!" Raven rose to her feet. She raised her hand and began her enchantment. "Percepio." Five small stones glowed in her hand signifying the spell's success. She turned to her friends. They all looked so different now. A sudden wave of relief welled up in her as she realized they were all together again. The boys were all dressed in buckskin pants with no shirts. Starfire had a long dress similar to hers. She could see the confusion in her friends' eyes. She hoped they would follow along; there was no time for explanations.

Each reached for a glowing stone and took theirs leaving one in Raven's hand. Robin popped his in his mouth and worked it into a comfortable spot. The taste of dirt and the feel of grit filled his mouth. He looked around at his friends who were visibly staring at him. "What's wrong with you guy's? Is there something on my face?" Robin quickly raised his hand.

"No Robin there's nothing on your face for a change." Cyborg replied. "Sorry, we're not used to seeing you without your mask, that's all."

"You look great Robin," Raven assured him. The others turned back to the clearing after placing their stones in there mouths. Starfire focused on Robin a bit longer yielding a slight smile to her friend.

"Here she comes," Raven announced. From across the field, a woman emerged from the tree line. She quickly made her way across the meadow towards them. "Everyone please be quiet and follow along," Raven quickly added.

"What's going on?" Beast Boy asked.

"There's no time to explain. Please just be quiet and let me do the talking," Raven replied in an annoyed hushed voice. Beast Boy shot an angry look at her. He was generally frustrated by the situation. The others seemed to know what was going on while he remained in the dark.

Raven stepped away from the boys as the woman approached the group. Starfire took a couple of steps forward and stood slightly behind Raven and to her right. Sullen Eagle remained apart from the group to the left of the girls.

The woman approached the group. She wore a buckskin dress and tall leather boots wrapped in cords that ran up almost to her knees. Her dress's neck and armholes were adorned with small pieces of white shell weaved into the fabric. Her face was slightly worn and her long black hair fell neatly on her shoulders. A large leather pouch hung around her neck and rested on her right hip. She stopped several yards in front of the group and removed her pouch. She knelt down and undid several strings and brought forth a large bleached shell. She stood up facing the group holding the shell in both hands near her waist.

"Welcome Titans to the ancient lands of the Lenape. I am Hannah the last of my people to live in the east. Raven, are you ready to begin?"

Before she could reply Raven cringed as Beast Boy's voice suddenly rose behind her.

"OK, will somebody please tell me what's going?" Hannah shot an angry stare and quickly raised her right hand. "How do you two..GACK." Beast Boy suddenly reached for his throat and collapsed to his knees. His head fell forward as he went down on all fours in a sudden coughing fit. After a few seconds the coughing stopped and Beast Boy slowly rose to his feet.

"I'm ok, just swallowed my stone." Beast boy cleared his throat one last time.

"Only those holding the shell may speak." Hannah coolly stared at Beast Boy to drive the point home. Beast Boy meekly nodded. Snickers erupted from the other boys. Those ceased quickly as Hannah shot icy stares at them.

When the group was recomposed she turned to Sullen Eagle. "Our people's law is clear. Sullen Eagle has taken a life. Those he has wronged must decide his fate." Sullen Eagle continued to look down in grudging acceptance. Hannah placed the shell on the ground and went back to the pouch. She pulled out two large stones from the bag. Both were smooth ovals; one black and one white. She took them to Raven and placed them in her hands. Hannah returned to the bag and picked up the shell.

Hannah then turned to Raven. "Raven, do you wish to say anything before you pass judgment?" Raven stared down at her hands that held Sullen Eagle's fate. From the corner of her eye she saw Starfire step forward. Starfire approached Hannah and held out her hands. "Starfire may speak," Hannah placed the shell in Starfire's hands. Starfire turned towards Sullen Eagle cradling the shell in her hands. She paused momentarily seeking the right words.

"While Sullen Eagle hurt my friend he only did so after we denied him what was rightfully his and his people's. We did not trust him because we did not know him. I believe he would have been our friend if we had been given more time." Starfire returned the shell back to Hannah and resumed her position.

Raven's eyes continued to focus on her hands during Starfire's talk. Her words were well chosen. They had been mistaken about the shaman. Raven had always been a bit envious of Starfire's ability to communicate so easily with others. She guessed that was one of the perks of royalty.

"Raven," Hannah's voice roused her from her thoughts, "it is time to make your decision." Raven nodded. She turned and approached Sullen Eagle. He looked much younger than their first meeting. Sullen Eagle felt her approach and raise his eyes to meet Raven's.

"Sullen Eagle, I'm the one who denied you what was rightfully yours," Raven said in an apologetic voice. The black stone fell to the ground with a soft thud. Raven then placed the white stone in Sullen Eagle's hand. "I will not deny you again."

"Sullen Eagle, the waiting time is over," Hannah quickly announced. "Your friends and family await your entrance into the spirit world."

Sullen Eagle's eyes glistened. He cradled the white rock in his hands still unsure that it was all over. Raven stepped back and felt the soft hand of Starfire on her neck. A light fluttering of wings startled the group as Amimi quickly darted onto Sullen Eagle's shoulder. The boy turned his head to his long serving companion. "Yes, it is good to see you to my loyal friend." He quietly spoke.

Amimi cocked his head and quickly fluttered into Starfire's awaiting hand. "Hello little one," she cooed, "I am glad you still live." Amimi quickly bowed his head and splayed his wings in a formal bow that cause her to giggle. Amimi then looked at Raven. She extended her left hand and the bird immediately fluttered to it. "I'm sorry," Raven said in a strained voice. The bird quickly began to gently rub its head on her thumb.

From across the clearing a great squawk erupted from the forest then a soft thud of wings followed. A large mass of birds emerged from the treetops and began blackening the skies above the canopy. Amimi quickly turned to it and felt the yearning to return to flight. The pigeon's head swiveled back to Raven. She gave a slight nod and with that Amimi quickly bounded from his perch and took flight to join the flock.

The girls watched as Amimi quickly disappeared. A loud cry erupted from the far side of the clearing. Silhouettes of people began to emerge from the forest. Sullen Eagle stepped towards Raven and grasped both of her hands. "I am sorry for hurting you. I should have been more patient seeking your help," he said apologetically. Raven nodded. "I thank you for ending my ordeal. It is time for me to join my ancestors. May the spirits guide you well," Sullen Eagle released Raven's hands and stepped away. "I will see you again," he said as he looked over the whole group.

Sullen Eagle turned and began making his way across the clearing. "Goodbye Sullen Eagle," Starfire quickly called to him. The Indian turned his head and shot a curious glance back to her.

"Lapich knewel," Cyborg quickly added. Sullen Eagle smiled slightly and nodded, then turned his head and continued across the field. He raised his hands slightly allowing them to pass through the grass tops. Hannah retrieved her bag and slung it over her shoulder. "Farewell Titans." Hannah smiled, nodded to the group, tuned and followed Sullen Eagle across the field.

The other Titans quickly turned to Cyborg seeking an answer to what he had said to the shaman. Cyborg's eyes remain focused on the entire scene that lay before him. "We will see you again. The Lenape have no word for goodbye." The others silently acknowledged Cyborg's explanation.

The first rays of the morning sun shot above the horizon consuming the scene in a blinding halo. As the light dimmed, the Titans found themselves back in the clearing once more.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: A Boulder in the Clearing**

The Titans stood silently in the field. A soft wind flowed through the grass and lightly rustled the leaves in the surrounding trees. Raven turned and began to slowly walk away from the group. Robin followed her and one by one the others fell in behind them. Robin immediately noticed they were not headed for the car but moving towards a large boulder that sat at one end of the clearing. Raven arrived at the boulder and knelt down in front of it. She raised her hand and placed it gently on the rock. Robin walked up behind her curious to see what she had found. Raven's hand rested on a small metal plaque imbedded on the large gray boulder. The others soon reached the boulder where Raven knelt. Robin and the other's strained to read the small plaque; "Here lies Indian Hannah last of the Lenape".

"That's the same woman we saw on…where ever we went," Beat Boy quietly stated.

"Yes," Raven replied in a whisper. "She was the one who met me on the other side, before Sullen Eagle called me back." The others remained silent for a moment not sure how to proceed.

"But you were only gone a couple of moments." Beast Boy continued. "How could you have been told all that was going to happen?"

"Time has no meaning in the spirit world," Raven replied. There was another long pause before Raven continued. "You know, I've always wondered what it was like in the spirit world. But once I got there all I though about was how much I would miss all of you."

"Even me?' Beast Boy questioned.

Raven turned her head towards Beast Boy. Her eyes glistened. "I can't believe I'm saying this but especially you."

"I never thought about what would happen to the team if something would happen to one of us," Robin added. He reflected on this thought momentarily. They were all heroes but not immortal.

"Robin, in time all of us will be gone. There will be no more team," Beast Boy sneered and pointed to Hannah's marker, "only some plaque in some rundown park."

"All the more reason to enjoy the time we have together," Raven quickly countered.

Starfire spoke up. "On my world friendships last a lifetime, even if friends become separated by great distances."

Another silence ensued. Cyborg then spoke. "You know guys nothing lasts forever. In time, I believe, we will all meet again."


End file.
